Indonesian police: Treason suspects planned to incite chaos

Updated 6:52 am, Friday, December 2, 2016

Photo: Achmad Ibrahim, File, AP

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FILE - In this Thursday, April 1, 2004, file photo, Rachmawati Sukarnoputri, the leader of the Pioneer Party and sister of former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, waves to supporters during a campaign rally in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesian police arrested 10 people including Rachmawati for suspected treason and other crimes and said they were planning to use a mass protest in the capital on Friday to cause chaos and overthrow the government. less

FILE - In this Thursday, April 1, 2004, file photo, Rachmawati Sukarnoputri, the leader of the Pioneer Party and sister of former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, waves to supporters during a ... more

Photo: Achmad Ibrahim, File, AP

Indonesian police: Treason suspects planned to incite chaos

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian police arrested 10 people including prominent citizens for suspected treason and other crimes and said they were planning to use a mass protest in the capital on Friday to cause chaos and overthrow the government.

The second major protest by conservative Muslims against the minority Christian governor of Jakarta drew some 200,000 people to the city's streets and ended peacefully. The governor, an ally of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, is being prosecuted for blasphemy, a criminal offense in predominantly Muslim Indonesia.

Police made the arrests at homes and a hotel on Friday before the protest began and said they had stepped up their investigation of the group over the past three weeks.

The eight arrested for alleged treason include Rachmawati, the daughter of Indonesia's founding president and the younger sister of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri; retired army Gen. Kivlan Zein; and musician-turned-politician Ahmad Dani.

Two people were arrested for suspected breaches of the electronic information and transactions law.

"They intended to incite people to overthrow the legitimate government using today's mass rally," said National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar. "They planned to seize the Parliament building."